A day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed that 169 of the 328 missing “saroops”had been found at Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Gurdwara in Banga during ongoing probe, the shrine management today termed the CM’s statement as “baseless”.
Amrik Singh Ballowal, a member of the gurdwara management, claimed that not a single saroop was from among the missing saroops. He said each saroop had been well accounted for.
Ballowal said, “We fully cooperated with the SIT. They had been visiting us for the past four days. We don’t know whether the SIT presented incorrect facts to the CM or he attempted to gain mileage ahead of his appearance before Akal Takht.”
He said, “Of 169 saroops in the gurdwara, 79 saroops were published prior to 2012. Hence, these saroops do not fall in the category of 328 missing saroops, which date from 2014 to 2019. A total of 107 saroops were published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the remaining 62 saroops were printed by private printers.”
“Only 30 saroops available with us were printed between 2014 and 2015, which were installed in 2019. We had deposited 30 worn-out (birad) saroops at Goindwal Sahib, in lieu of which we were allotted 20 new saroops. Ten saroops were taken by sangat of Dosanjh Khurd village from the SGPC. Later, they handed over these saroops to us as they were unable to maintain them. Hence, not a single missing saroop is with us.”
Ballowal said, “Banga AAP MLA Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi and Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Kang visit the dera and they are well verse with its working. It is time for them to draw the lines today.” “I had joined AAP through MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer during the 2024 General Elections. I quit the party amid allegations levelled against such revered place,” he said.
AAP legislator praises gurdwara
Banga MLA Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, who had joined AAP in August 2024, took a divergent stand from the CM. He visited the holy site late last evening and went live on Facebook.
He said, “There has been no violation of maryada at the site. I am here to clear doubts of everyone that this place cannot be involved in wrongdoing and should not be dragged in any controversy.